Baby sleep basics: 9 to 12 months

Typical sleep at this age

At 9 months, babies typically sleep about14 hours a day, including a nap several times a day for one to two hours at a time.

Ready for sleep trainingIf your baby hasn't yet settled into a sleep pattern that fits your family life, now might be a good time to try some type of sleep training. Sleep training methods can help your baby go to sleep more easily, sleep for longer periods at night, and keep more regular hours.

Sleeping through the nightIf your baby now sleeps for nine or ten hours at night, it means she's figured out how to settle back to sleep – a sign that you're raising a good sleeper.

If your baby's still waking up at night for feedings, she's probably ready for night weaning, if that's what you choose. But babies this age don't necessarily wake up because they're hungry.

We all wake up several times every night for brief periods of time. And as adults, we put ourselves back to sleep each time – so quickly we don't even remember it in the morning. If your baby hasn't mastered this skill, she'll wake up and cry during the night even if she's not hungry.

Waking up againDon't be surprised if your sound sleeper suddenly becomes a night owl or has a hard time falling asleep at this age. Why? Sleep disturbances often go hand-in-hand with reaching major milestones in cognitive and motor development and with separation anxiety.

At 9 to 12 months, your baby's likely to be crawling, pulling up, and learning to walk. And because she's refining and expanding on these skills, she may wake up at night to practice or be too excited to fall asleep. If she can't soothe herself back to sleep, she'll end up crying for you.

Separation anxiety could also be the cause of your baby's wake-up calls. Waking up and finding you not there may cause some distress. But she'll probably calm down as soon as you enter the room and greet her.

How you can establish healthy sleep habits

This is a time to continue working on the techniques you and your baby learned in the first nine months, including:

Stick to a consistent bedtime routine.We can't say it often enough: You and your baby will both benefit from a nightly bedtime ritual. You can opt for the tried-and-true – giving her a bath, reading her a bedtime story, and tucking her in – or add a quiet game into the mix.

Make sure your baby finds the routine soothing. For example, if she hates taking baths, move them earlier in the day. Or sing songs if she'd rather chew on a book than be read to. Just be sure to follow the same routine every night. Children thrive on consistency and feel more secure when they know what to expect.

Also, start your bedtime routine at a reasonable hour so she's not overtired, which may make it harder for her to get to sleep.

Make sure your baby has a regular schedule.Bedtime may go more smoothly if you make an effort to keep the rest of your baby's daily schedule consistent, too. If she naps, eats, plays, and gets ready for bed at about the same time every day, she'll be much more likely to fall asleep without a struggle.

Give your child plenty of chances to fall asleep on her own.If you want your baby to sleep independently, she needs opportunities to practice this important skill. Instead of nursing or rocking her to sleep, let her practice falling asleep on her own by putting her in bed when she's relaxed and drowsy. Otherwise she'll probably cry when she wakes up during the night and need your help to drop off again.

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